BARDON HILL (Bardon Close)

FA CUP EXTRA PRELIMINARY ROUND, BARDON HILL 0-1 DUNKIRK, ATTENDANCE: 65 (h/c)

Today 368 teams set out on the road to Wembley as the FA Cup got under way with the Extra Preliminary Round. 

With plenty of options available, I plumped for the all Midlands League tie between Bardon Hill and Dunkirk.

Bardon is a mile or so from Coalville in Leicestershire. The football team is named after Bardon Hill, which is the highest point in the county. Bardon Hill Sports, as they were then, won the East Midlands Counties League last season to gain promotion to the Midlands League. This will be their first ever season at Step 5.

The club were founded in 1890 and after spending many years in district leagues, the club were elected to the Leicestershire Senior League in 1994, the season in which the club moved to its current home in Bardon Close.

The game was a scrappy affair with chances few and far between. Dunkirk's pacy front line always looked the more threatening but the home side dug in and the game seemed destined to go to a replay before Tristram Whitman scored with 10 minutes remaining to send Dunkirk through to the next round.

I've got my eye on you!